Brand Level Research Articles

Taxes on tobacco, alcohol and sugar sweetened beverages: Linkages and lessons learned

Increased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has been linked to increases in obesity in both high-income and low- and middle-income countries. Tobacco and alcohol taxes have proven to be effective tools to reduce tobacco and alcohol use. Many public health advocates propose using similar taxes to reduce consumption of SSBs. South Africa is a middle-income country that is considered a leader in the area of tobacco tax policy. A case study of tobacco and alcohol taxes is used to better understand optimal tax structures for SSBs. The case study tracks aggregate data over time on taxes, prices, consumption, tax revenues, and marketing expenditures at the brand level. Tobacco and alcohol taxes are shown to be effective in reducing the demand for tobacco. Additionally, taxes on the dose of alcohol rather than the volume of the beverage may incentivize producers to reduce the volume of alcohol in beverages through the supply side. While specific taxes based on the volume of beverages are likely to reduce the demand for SSBs, policy makers should also consider taxes on alcohol and SSBs that tax the dose of the alcohol and calories in order to create supply-side incentives for producers to lower alcohol and calorie levels in existing products or promote products with lower levels of alcohol and calories.

Hotel cleanliness: will guests pay for enhanced disinfection?

PurposeThis study aims to propose that there may be a marketable segment of guests who are willing to pay a premium for guestrooms that are cleaned using enhanced disinfection techniques beyond the normal room cleaning procedures. Room cleanliness is important to hotel guests. Some hotel brands currently offer allergy-free rooms, charging a premium for this service. However, no hotel brands currently serve the market that is willing to pay more for enhanced disinfection. This exploratory study investigates whether there is such a segment and, if so, what price premium these customers are willing to pay for enhanced disinfection.Design/methodology/approachSurvey methods were used to determine the consumer’s perceptions of hotel guestroom cleanliness; the effectiveness of traditional and enhanced cleaning methods; and willingness to pay for enhanced guestroom disinfection.FindingsYounger travelers and female travelers of all ages may be willing to pay a significant price premium for enhanced disinfection of a hotel guestroom.Research limitations/implicationsThe survey instrument was administered via the Internet, limiting the sample. The study participants were not asked about hotel brand; thus, the results could not be analyzed by brand or service level.Originality/valuePast research focuses only on traditional cleaning methods. This article provides a template for the hotel industry to explore the feasibility of offering enhanced cleanliness as a revenue-generating amenity.

Art Infusion Effect on Fashion Products according to Self-monitoring and the Luxury Level of Fashion Brands

This study empirically confirmed how an art infusion into fashion products affect consumer`s preference through Study 1 and Study 2. Study 1 examined the effect of an art infusion and the difference of an art infusion effect according to self-monitoring scale by designing groups composed of 2 (art infusion: infusion versus non-infusion) (self-monitoring: high versus low). Study 2 examined the difference of an art infusion effect according to the luxury level of fashion brands by designing groups composed of 2 (art infusion: infused versus non-infused) (fashion brand luxury levels: high versus mid versus low). This study was conducted using a convenience sample of women in their 20s and 30s residing in the Seoul and Daegu region. In Study 1, 162 participants were randomly assigned to two experiment situations of art infusion. In Study 2, 192 participants were randomly assigned to six experiment situations of art infusion and luxury level of fashion brands. For the data analysis, we conducted reliability analysis, two-way ANOVA and simple main effect analysis using SPSS 18.0 statistics package. The results of Study 1 and 2 are as follows. First, consumer`s preference was shown to be higher for fashion products with art infusion rather than fashion products without art infusion. Second, the positive effect of art infusion on consumer`s preference was significant in the group of high selfmonitors. But there was a non-significant effect of art infusion in the group of low self-monitors. Lastly, the positive effect of art infusion on consumer`s preference is higher in the case of a mid-level luxury brand rather than in the case of a high-level luxury brand and low-level luxury brand.

Developing multi-dimensional green value

Purpose– The purpose of this study is to elucidate how green value influences potential green hotel customers’ propensity to choose green. Studies on green hotels emphasized environmental and financial benefits that conventional hotels do not provide to society or the companies. However, these benefits may not be the ones that resonate best with its potential customers. Besides, given the characteristics of green products, it is also important to point out how customers perceive green-related costs.Design/methodology/approach– A pilot test was conducted in three universities and then an anonymous questionnaire was randomly administered to Korean passengers at the Incheon International Airport. Exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were the primary methods of data analysis.Findings– Four dimensions for perceived green benefits and three dimensions for perceived green costs emerged: functional, emotional, social and epistemic benefits; and monetary, explicit and implicit costs. Environmental concern influenced perceived green benefits positively and perceived green costs negatively, while its relationship with purchase intention was insignificant. Perceived green benefits was not a significant predictor of purchase intention, but perceived green costs was, and it partially mediated the effect of environmental concern on purchase intention. Functional and emotional benefits as well as monetary and explicit costs were significantly associated with purchase intention.Research limitations/implications– This study has only investigated customer perceived value of a green hotel stay in the pre-purchase stage, and hotel brand level was not taken into consideration. Besides, convenience sampling of Korean respondents only may limit the generalizability of the research findings.Practical implications– Research findings help to explain the inconsistency between eco-friendly attitude and green purchase intentions. Managers may understand the importance of developing customers’ green awareness and how to market the green value to them.Originality/value– Few researches have focused on the role of customer perceived value in explaining true behavioral change of green hotel guests. The current study may be the first attempt to incorporate the social exchange theory into the conceptual model, and extend the knowledge of perceived value in this specific green context by not only emphasizing multi-dimensional perceived green benefits and perceived green costs but also incorporating a situational factor of environmental concern.

How Do Retailers Price Beer During Periods of Peak Demand? Evidence from Game Weeks of the German Bundesliga

This article considers retail beer pricing during game weeks of the German Bundesliga. German consumers exhibit a high degree of brand‐loyalty in their preference for regionally crafted beers, and we exploit the regional brand‐loyalty of German beer consumers to identify brand‐level demand shocks for beers preferred by the home team's fans and visiting team's fans during Bundesliga game weeks. We find retailer price adjustments at the category level mask a considerably more nuanced pricing behavior at the brand level. Retailers in regions hosting Bundesliga games significantly increase beer prices at the category level during game weeks; however, at the brand level, we find retailers selectively discount prices on the home team's sponsored beers and systematically raise prices on the visiting team's sponsored beers. Our findings are consistent with a “tourist–natives” model of retail pricing during periods of increased demand in the German beer market.

Spillover Effects in Seeded Word-of-Mouth Marketing Campaigns

Seeded marketing campaigns (SMCs) involve firms sending product samples to selected customers and encouraging them to spread word of mouth (WOM). Prior research has examined certain aspects of this increasingly popular form of marketing communication, such as seeding strategies and their immediate efficacy. Building on prior research, this study investigates the effects of SMCs that extend beyond the generation of WOM for a campaign’s focal product by considering how seeding can affect WOM spillover effects at the brand and category levels. The authors introduce a framework of SMC-related spillover effects, and then empirically estimate these with a unique dataset covering 390 SMCs for products from 192 different cosmetics brands. Multiple spillover effects are found, suggesting that while SMCs can indeed be used primarily to stimulate WOM for a focal product, marketers must also account for brand- and category-level WOM spillover effects. Specifically, product seeding increases conversations about that product among non-seed consumers, and, interestingly, decreases WOM about other products from the same brand and about competitors’ products in the same category as the focal product. These findings indicate that marketers can use SMCs to focus online WOM on a particular product by drawing consumers away from talking about other related, but off-topic, products.

Servant leadership, employer brand perception, trust in leaders and turnover intentions: a sequential mediation model

The study aimed to examine the impact of the servant leadership style on employee turnover intentions by investigating the sequential mediating effects of employer brand perception and level of trust subordinates have in their leaders. Results of the study were obtained by analysing data collected from 253 employees working in Indian organizations. The results fully support the hypotheses proposed in the study, illustrating that perceived servant leadership style is negatively associated with employee turnover intentions. Further, servant leadership-turnover intentions relationship is sequentially mediated by employer brand perception and the level of trust subordinates have in their leaders. The study also found that only the servant leadership style followed by leaders was not enough to directly influence the level of trust employees placed in their leaders. A positive and strong employer brand perception emerged as an important mechanism that helped servant leaders gain the trust of their followers. The theoretical and managerial implications are further discussed in the light of these findings.

Barriers to Increasing Donor Support

This study examines individuals’ refusal to support, or rejection, of charity brands. Drawing from an online survey of 490 Australian respondents, we find a low incidence of charity rejection. At brand level, the average rejection is 3%, with Greenpeace (19%) and World Vision (9%) showing the highest levels of rejection. The majority of respondents (71%) did not reject any of the 29 charity brands listed. The results show that for any specific charity, rejection is rare and that non-awareness levels are 14 times higher than rejection levels. This has important strategic implications for recruiting supporters, with non-awareness providing greater explanation of non-support than rejection. Charities should focus on raising knowledge and salience of the charity brand rather than trying to negate objections.

Vested interests in addiction research and policy. Alcohol brand sponsorship of events, organizations and causes in the United States, 2010-2013.

There has been insufficient research attention to the alcohol industry's use of corporate sponsorship as a marketing tool. This paper provides a systematic investigation of the nature and extent of alcohol sponsorship-at the brand level-in the United States. The study examined sponsorship of organizations and events in the United States by alcohol brands from 2010 to 2013. The top 75 brands of alcohol consumed by underage drinkers were identified based on a previously conducted national internet-based survey. For each of these brands, a systematic search for sponsorships was conducted using Google. The sponsorships were coded by category and type of sponsorship. We identified 945 sponsorships during the study period for the top 75 brands consumed by underage drinkers. The most popular youth brands were far more likely to engage in sponsorship and to have a higher number of sponsorships. The identified sponsorships overwhelmingly associated alcohol brands with integral aspects of American culture, including sports, music, the arts and entertainment, and drinking itself. The most popular brands among underage drinkers were much more likely to associate their brands with these aspects of American culture than brands that were less popular among underage drinkers. Alcohol brand sponsorship must be viewed as a major alcohol marketing strategy that generates brand capital through positive associations with integral aspects of culture, creation of attractive brand personalities, and identification with specific market segments. Alcohol research, practice and policy should address this highly prevalent form of alcohol marketing.

Influence of COO on product evaluation of mobile phones by Indian consumers: an empirical study

Purpose– The purpose of this study is to attempt to address the effect of country of origin (COO) from three different dimensions, namely, country image (CI) effect, COO image effect and awareness level about the COO of the brand and its resultant effect on product evaluation (PrEva). Further, the brand awareness, level of involvement and the COO interaction effect on consumer PrEva has also been studied to indicate the intensity of COO impact. Due to rapid globalization and reduction in trade barriers, major emerging economics from Asia witnessed entry of cross-border brands into their markets. India, as an emerging economy, has also followed the trend. In this backdrop, the present study is proposed for a better understanding of the effect of COO on PrEva.Design/methodology/approach– The study has been conducted in India, and the mobile phone market has been taken as the hub of the study because of the presence of maximum cross-border companies in India. The study is built on existing literature on influence of COO, brand image (BI), awareness about brands, CI and product image on consumer’s evaluation of mobile phones. Seven theoretical constructs have been used to test the relationship between the COO and consumer PrEva for the selected product with the help of structural equation modeling technique.Findings– The study shows that brand awareness for the class of mobile phones selected does not affect PrEva whereas CI, which is a general perception about the country from where the product originates, significantly affects consumers’ PrEva. Results also show that COO does not act as a mediator between CI and PrEva even though COO has a significant negative direct effect on PrEva. Thus, from this study, the learning for marketers in this price segment for mobile phones in emerging markets is that consumers are more sensitive to features per price than any other influencers. So, BI and/or COO are not sufficient conditions for product success in emerging market like India.Research limitations/implications– The findings are outcomes of an empirical study conducted in mobile handset industry of India based on the sample set of urban consumers in the city of Kolkata, India. It is quite possible that there may be other issues relevant to other parts of the country. This may influence the degree of association studied herein. Hence, the results may be treated with caution in terms of the generalizations of the same to other regions and countries. The study may, in future, be done by including questions related to price sensitivity and perception about features of the mobile phone hand-sets. This may give a clearer picture about the influences of these factors on PrEva of mobile phones in emerging markets. Finally, this study should be repeated in other major emerging markets to test the general applicability of the theoretical model and the empirical results introduced in this paper.Practical implications– For the low-end mobile handset market, general country characteristics from where the product originates reduce the importance of specific product attributes in evaluating the product. We may further conclude from the present study that the country’s overall image can be an effective tool to influence the consumer PrEva process. To be competitive in an emerging country like India, multinational firms should promote the overall country’s image to cement relationship with target consumers.Originality/value– Moreover, Ahmed and d’Astous (1996) viewed that several empirical research have independently focused on the impact of COO on the country, product or brand level, but there is lack of an integrated approach in this regard to capture different propensity of effects of COO at different levels. To our knowledge, it is one of the first attempts to analyze consumers’ PrEva of mobile phones in an emerging market.

How Do Smokers Respond to Cigarette Taxes? Evidence from China's Cigarette Industry.

This paper examines how Chinese smokers respond to tax-driven cigarette price increases by estimating a discrete choice model of demand for differentiated products, using annual nationwide brand-level cigarette sales data in China from 2005 to 2010. We allow for substitution between different cigarette brands and also incorporate key features of rational addiction theory into the model. Results show that the average own-price elasticity of demand for cigarettes at the brand level is -0.807, and the overall price elasticity of cigarettes at the market level is -0.488 in China. We find tax-induced substitution toward low-price cigarettes as well as high-tar cigarettes and that tax hikes encourage within-class substitution more than across-class substitution. These results have important policy implications for the potential effects of cigarette taxation. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Brand Social Responsibility: Conceptualization, Measurement, and Outcomes

Social responsibility is typically examined at the firm level, yet there are instances in which consumers’ social responsibility perceptions of the firm’s product brands differ from social responsibility perceptions with regard to the firm [i.e., corporate social responsibility (CSR)]. This article conceptualizes brand social responsibility (BSR) and delineates it from CSR. Following the development of a BSR scale (Study 1), this research demonstrates variations in consumers’ social responsibility perceptions across product brands even if they are owned by the same corporation and compete in the same product category (Study 2). BSR is distinct from CSR (Studies 3a–3c), and better predicts consumers’ responses to product brands compared to corporate level measures (Study 4). Consistent with the conceptual distinction, this research demonstrates the unique contribution of BSR and CSR in predicting product brand and corporate outcomes, respectively (Study 5). From a theoretical viewpoint, this research is one of the few to examine differences between product brand and CSR. From a managerial viewpoint, the consideration of social responsibility at the product brand level facilitates the assessment of social responsibility perceptions across brands in brand portfolios managed under a mixed-branding or house-of-brands strategy.

Designing corporate brand experience in an online context: A qualitative insight

This study explores the dimensions and components of corporate brand experience in an Internet setting. Corporate brand experience (CBE), which is a source of a company's added value, could be an effective way to position a corporate brand in relation to the overall corporate marketing strategy. However, the concept of CBE has attracted very little attention from previous research, thereby our understanding of what the concept is and how to operationalize it is limited. Previous brand experience research is mainly focused on the conceptual understanding of brand experience itself, and/or the product brand level (rather than at corporation level). Understanding CBE is important because corporate brand equity (e.g. corporate image, brand loyalty) is dependent not only on how one is satisfied with the product (mostly addressed by functional/performance values of product), but also through the values of the corporation (corporate brand values). This study thus contributes theoretically to the corporate and online branding literature by proposing underlying new dimensions and components of CBE in an online environment. A series of focus group discussions (FGDs) with 32 online banking respondents informs the study. We identify five main themes and 26 sub-themes of corporate brand experience — corporate visual identity, functionality, emotional, lifestyle and corporate/self-identity. Financial service providers can address these dimensionalities during the process of brand positioning and when designing their corporate marketing in an online setting.

Projecting corporate brand image and behavioral response in business schools: Cognitive or affective brand attributes?

This paper considers corporate brand image, focusing on cognitive and affective brand attributes in the context of business schools. While previous research on university or institutional branding has studied these elements separately via cognitive (e.g., service or educational quality attributes) or affective criteria (personality traits of the corporate brand), this study investigates them jointly through behavioral responses (leading to positive recommendations about the corporate brand). This is important because brand equity such as positive word-of-mouth (or mouse) is derived from both attitudinal components, rather than being based on only one component. Drawing on an empirical survey of postgraduate (MBA) students from four business schools, the findings reveal that both cognitive and affective attitudinal components appear equally important in shaping corporate brand image. Further, when the mediating effect is investigated, interestingly, students' positive recommendations to schools depended largely on the affective (prestigious, adventurous, empathy and competence) rather than upon the cognitive brand attributes. This paper contributes theoretically to the corporate brand and consumer behavior literature by investigating both attitudinal components at a corporate brand level and investigates their effects on behavioral/conative response. The practical contribution of the paper and its managerial implications lie in the context of defining strategy in relation to positioning business schools in an increasingly competitive higher education market.

The Quality of Internet-User Recall

<h3>ABSTRACT</h3> The present study investigates whether different online sales promotion types influence Internet-user recall quality and help create brand awareness. The work also analyzes whether the quality of recall depends on whether or not the Internet-user clicks on the promotional banner. Based on a sample of 676 individuals, the authors found that nonmonetary online sales promotions (i.e. free gifts) generated a higher level of brand and product recall, while monetary online sales promotions (i.e. price discounts) generated a higher level of product recall. The implications of this study will help managers offer the online incentives that best align with their business objectives.

Prevalence of Thermophiles and Mesophiles in Raw and UHT Milk

The objective of the study was to evaluate the contamination level of cow's raw milk and different brands of UHT milk in Baghdad local market for thermophilic and mesophilic bacteria. The numbers of colony counts in milk samples were determined by the culture method according to bacteriological standards methods. Investigations were carried out for seven weeks in college of veterinary dairy farms from March 2013 to May 2013. Six (29%) positive samples out of 21 samples were tested for thermophiles in raw milk while 36 (100%) milk samples of Ultra High Temperature (UHT) were positive for thermophiles. Twenty one (100%) of mesophiles in raw milk samples were positive while in UHT milk samples only 18 (50%) out of 36 were positive. Overall the means of mesophiles have more significant counts differences (p<0.05) than thermophiles in raw milk samples. In UHT brands indicated that the results revealed high numbers of thermophiles in Nada and KDD which indicated that these brands were low quality. Moreover the values of these brands have significant differences (p<0.05) comparing with the UHT milk brands Al-Maraee and Al-Safi. In the same time the UHT brands were shown high numbers of mesophiles in Nada and Al-Safi which indicated that these brands have significant differences (p<0.05) comparing with Al-Maraee and KDD. This study was concentrated on milk contamination occurred after milk producing as well as processing, transport and store of UHT.

Hotel loyalty programs: how valuable is valuable enough?

Purpose – This study attempts to examine customers' perceived value of hotel loyalty programs, to identify the relationship between perceived program value and active loyalty, and to examine the effect of perceived program value in determining customers' active loyalty. Design/methodology/approach – An extensive sample of 15,000 respondents was randomly selected from a pool of US domestic tourists who previously requested tourism information from the Convention and Visitor's Bureau (CVB) websites across the country. The data for this study were collected using online survey questionnaires. The researchers sent out e-mails, embedding a link to a brief questionnaire and consent form to potential respondents. Findings – This study substantiates the impact of perceived program value, particularly the psychological value, on active loyalty. In addition, the study identifies significant differences in perceived financial value and externality value of the loyalty programs. Originality/value – This study breaks down loyalty program practices into individual brand levels and compares the perceived program value of 11 major hotel loyalty programs. This provides a better understanding of the perceived program value that may affect active loyalty and explains how the value varies by different hotel loyalty programs. This study offers recommendations on how hotels might craft value opportunities to cultivate the continued engagement of consumers. The results of this study offer insights into the under-researched domain of the drivers of active loyalty in the hospitality context and suggest methods for better strategic management of this loyalty form.

Product Water Footprinting: Application with Milk Products at Brand Level

The production and consumption of products and services exert much pressure on hydrological cycle. Water footprint is a popular indicator quantifying both direct and indirect water use of a product or service. In this article, water footprints were calculated for three milk products, 180g Yogurt, 250mL Fluid milk and 400g Skim milk powder (SMP) at product brand (YiYi®) level. The process LCA-based water footprint method was applied using primary production data, with both volumetric and stress-weighted results reported. Water footprint values were compared among different life cycle stages and products, and possible mitigation strategies to minimize the burden on freshwater systems from consumptive water use were raised. The results demonstrated the suitability of water footprint as streamlined indicator for product sustainability management and affirmed the importance of farming stage for water footprint reduction.

Brand-size complementarity in the choice of retail stores

Shopping patterns of consumers vary as the level of size and brand of stores change jointly or separately. Brand and size can be either complementary or substitutable with respect to consumers’ shopping characteristics. They are complementary to spending per visit, or brand magnifies the positive effect of size to spending per visit. Weekend consumers also tend to view size and brand complementary, which is so strong that there exists polarized shopping at either large nationwide brand or small unbranded stores during weekend. Car owners exhibit very similar patterns as weekend consumers. On the other hand, substitutability exists to explain shopping frequency. This effect is so high as to generate the polarized pattern; shopping frequency is high with regard to small nationwide brand and large unbranded stores. Substitution patterns also arise for working women, people older than 50, and high-income consumers.

One currency, One Price? Euro Changeover-Related Inflation in Estonia

This paper studies euro changeover-related inflation using disaggregated price level data. The difference-in-differences approach is used and the control group for the treatment country, Estonia, is built from 12 euro area countries. The Nielsen Company disaggregated price data are employed at product, brand and shop-type level. The results indicate that while the overall inflationary effect of euro adoption was modest, the effects were significantly different across various market segments. Changeover-related inflation was higher for products that were relatively cheaper than the euro area average. Inflationary effects were stronger in smaller shops. JEL Classification: D49, P46, E58